Is it legal to own a raccoon in Illinois?

Permit needed. Raccoons are protected fur-bearing mammals. Anyone holding live ones needs a Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit from the Illinois DNR, which costs $25 a year. Ask DNR whether it will issue one for a pet.

Is it legal to own a monkey in Illinois?

Banned. Illinois bans keeping any nonhuman primate except at zoos, licensed exhibits, research and similar sites. Only primates held before 2011 and registered, and one trained capuchin for a severely mobility-impaired person, are exempt.

Is it legal to own a fox in Illinois?

Permit needed. Red fox is a protected fur-bearing mammal. Holding live ones requires a Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit from the Illinois DNR. Fur farmers meeting income tests are exempt. Ask DNR whether a pet owner can get one.

Is it legal to own a skunk in Illinois?

Banned. The state will not issue breeder permits to hold or breed striped skunks acquired after July 1, 1975. A new pet skunk therefore cannot be kept legally, and the wildlife code protects the species.

Is it legal to own a ferret in Illinois?

No state restriction found. Domestic ferrets are not named in the Illinois dangerous animal list or the protected wildlife list, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.

Is it legal to own a capybara in Illinois?

No state restriction found. Not named in any Illinois restricted list I read, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.

Who do I ask about exotic pets in Illinois?

Start with Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Then ask your county and city.

Exotic pet laws in Illinois

Rules read from each state's law on 10 November 2026. Not legal advice.

The table lists every animal we cover and what Illinois law says about keeping it as a pet. Each row links to the rule it rests on; animals link to their own state-by-state guide.

Animal by animal in Illinois

Animal	Status	What it means	Source
Skunk	Banned	The state will not issue breeder permits to hold or breed striped skunks acquired after July 1, 1975. A new pet skunk therefore cannot be kept legally, and the wildlife code protects the species.Only skunks acquired before July 1, 1975 were eligible	520 ILCS 5/3.25; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Pet monkey	Banned	Illinois bans keeping any nonhuman primate except at zoos, licensed exhibits, research and similar sites. Only primates held before 2011 and registered, and one trained capuchin for a severely mobility-impaired person, are exempt.Grandfathered registered primates (pre-2011) and one service capuchin only	720 ILCS 5/48-10(b), (c)
Big cat	Banned	Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and mountain lions (cougars) are on the Illinois dangerous animal list. Private possession is barred except at zoos, licensed exhibits and similar sites.	720 ILCS 5/48-10(a), (b)
Bobcat	Banned	Bobcats and lynx are on the Illinois dangerous animal list. Private possession is barred except at zoos, licensed exhibits and similar sites. Breeder permits are not issued for dangerous animals acquired after July 1, 2022.	720 ILCS 5/48-10(a), (b)
Lemur	Banned	Lemurs are named in the Illinois definition of primate, and private possession of primates is banned except at zoos, licensed exhibits and similar sites. Only primates held and registered before 2011 are exempt.Grandfathered registered primates (pre-2011) only	720 ILCS 5/48-10(a), (b)
Alligator or other crocodilian	Banned	Crocodilians, including alligators, are special use herptiles. Permits go only to residents running bona fide educational programs, so a private pet owner cannot keep one.Special use permit for education programs only	510 ILCS 68/20-10; 510 ILCS 68/85-5
Venomous snake	Banned	Venomous reptiles are special use herptiles. Permits go only to residents with 250 hours of experience for bona fide educational programs, so ordinary pet owners cannot keep them.Special use permit for education programs only	510 ILCS 68/10-5; 510 ILCS 68/10-15
Bear	Banned	Bears are on the Illinois dangerous animal list, and the black bear is also protected wildlife. Private possession is barred except at zoos, licensed exhibits and similar sites.	720 ILCS 5/48-10(a), (b)
Raccoon	Permit needed	Raccoons are protected fur-bearing mammals. Anyone holding live ones needs a Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit from the Illinois DNR, which costs $25 a year. Ask DNR whether it will issue one for a pet.Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit, $25 a year, expires March 31	520 ILCS 5/2.2; 520 ILCS 5/3.25
Red fox	Permit needed	Red fox is a protected fur-bearing mammal. Holding live ones requires a Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit from the Illinois DNR. Fur farmers meeting income tests are exempt. Ask DNR whether a pet owner can get one.Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit, $25 a year	520 ILCS 5/2.2; 520 ILCS 5/3.25
Otter	Depends	River otter is a protected fur-bearing mammal and needs a Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit to hold live. Asian small-clawed otters are not named in Illinois restricted lists I read.River otter: Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit; Asian small-clawed: not listed	520 ILCS 5/2.2; 520 ILCS 5/3.25
Axolotl	No state restriction found	Not covered by the Illinois dangerous animal list, the protected wildlife list or the herptile special use rules, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Capybara	No state restriction found	Not named in any Illinois restricted list I read, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
African pygmy hedgehog	No state restriction found	Not named in any Illinois restricted list I read, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Ferret	No state restriction found	Domestic ferrets are not named in the Illinois dangerous animal list or the protected wildlife list, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Sugar glider	No state restriction found	Sugar gliders are not covered. The wildlife code names only the native southern flying squirrel, and the dangerous animal list does not include gliders. No state permit is needed.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Fennec fox	No state restriction found	The dangerous animal list names only wolves and coyotes among canids, and the wildlife code names only red and gray fox, so fennec foxes are not restricted. The Animal Control Act treats all Canidae as dogs for rabies rules.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Serval or savannah cat	No state restriction found	Serval is not on the Illinois dangerous animal list, which names specific cats only, so no state permit is needed. Savannah hybrids are not mentioned either. Local rules were not checked.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Wallaby	No state restriction found	Wallabies and other marsupials are not named in any Illinois restricted list I read, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Chinchilla	No state restriction found	Chinchillas are not named in any Illinois restricted list I read, so no state permit is needed.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Tarantula	No state restriction found	No Illinois dangerous animal, wildlife or herptile rule I read covers spiders, so no state permit is needed.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Kangaroo	No state restriction found	Kangaroos and other marsupials are not named in any Illinois restricted list I read, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Prairie dog	No state restriction found	Prairie dogs are not named in the Illinois protected wildlife list or any restricted list I read. Federal rules on prairie dogs are covered separately.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Kinkajou	No state restriction found	Kinkajous are not named in any Illinois restricted list I read, since only the raccoon is protected among procyonids. No state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.	720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2
Giant constrictor	No state restriction found	Illinois allows lawfully acquired boas, pythons and anacondas without a permit. Non-native species must be kept in strong, escape-proof enclosures at all times. Federal rules are covered separately.Escape-proof enclosure required	510 ILCS 68/15-5; 510 ILCS 68/15-10
Tegu	No state restriction found	Tegus are not named in the Illinois special use herptile rules, which cover venomous reptiles, crocodilians, crocodile monitors and Komodo dragons. No state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.	510 ILCS 68/25-5; 17 Ill. Adm. Code 885.10
Wolfdog	Not verified yet	We could not confirm Illinois's rule for this animal yet. Ask Illinois Department of Natural Resources before you buy.	Agency page

Who regulates exotic pets in Illinois

Illinois Department of Natural Resources is the agency to ask. Animal Control Act (510 ILCS 5/2.11) defines dog as all members of Canidae, so rabies vaccination rules reach foxes and wolfdogs. Illinois Wildlife Code 2.1 declares wild mammals state property.

The main texts:

Before you buy in Illinois

Ask the state agency above, in writing if you can, and keep the answer.
Ask your county and city: local ordinances can ban an animal the state allows.
Check your lease, homeowners or renters insurance and any homeowner association rules.
Buy only from a seller who can show the animal is captive-bred and legal to ship to Illinois.

See every state in exotic pet laws by state, or test one animal in the legality checker.

How we checked. For each state we read the statutes, administrative code and agency lists that govern keeping wild or exotic animals, and every row above links to the text it rests on. A second, independent reviewer then re-read the same sources, and a row is shown only if it survived that check. "Not verified yet" means a state's rule could not be read or confirmed, which is a gap in our data and not a green light. County and city ordinances, landlord and insurance rules, and federal law sit on top of the state rule. Read how we check. See an error? Email hello@creaturesincrisis.org with the link.

Quick answers

Is it legal to own a raccoon in Illinois?: Permit needed. Raccoons are protected fur-bearing mammals. Anyone holding live ones needs a Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit from the Illinois DNR, which costs $25 a year. Ask DNR whether it will issue one for a pet.
Is it legal to own a monkey in Illinois?: Banned. Illinois bans keeping any nonhuman primate except at zoos, licensed exhibits, research and similar sites. Only primates held before 2011 and registered, and one trained capuchin for a severely mobility-impaired person, are exempt.
Is it legal to own a fox in Illinois?: Permit needed. Red fox is a protected fur-bearing mammal. Holding live ones requires a Fur-Bearing Mammal Breeder Permit from the Illinois DNR. Fur farmers meeting income tests are exempt. Ask DNR whether a pet owner can get one.
Is it legal to own a skunk in Illinois?: Banned. The state will not issue breeder permits to hold or breed striped skunks acquired after July 1, 1975. A new pet skunk therefore cannot be kept legally, and the wildlife code protects the species.
Is it legal to own a ferret in Illinois?: No state restriction found. Domestic ferrets are not named in the Illinois dangerous animal list or the protected wildlife list, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.
Is it legal to own a capybara in Illinois?: No state restriction found. Not named in any Illinois restricted list I read, so no state permit is needed. Local rules were not checked.
Who do I ask about exotic pets in Illinois?: Start with Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Then ask your county and city.